Prologue… We had a couple wonderful story filled zero days with a Warm Showers host. The inspiration to this entire ride was to visit Westport Winery and pick up our wine. We finally arrived on day nine. On day eleven we reached Lake Crescent. This lake has been the location of many important events and firsts in our lives, the biggest being that we were married here. It was at first exciting to be back and then horrifying with what it is turning into now that the Spruce Railroad Trail is completely paved. July 24, 2021 Zero Day, Westport Winery, and an incredible visit with our WarmShowers host. No Over-Thinking…

Camera Gear Our Devices of Capture RECORDING OUR JOURNEY Obviously we do not bring all this gear with us as each outing has its own capture list. This is simply a comprehensive list of gear we choose from. There have been a lot of failed items that did not serve the purpose we hoped they would. I have left these items unlisted because there was little wrong with them, they just did not work for us. It is important to find what functions for the various situations we find ourselves navigating. The following are products that contribute to our needs. Weight, size, durability, and versatility are typical top priorities that…

Continuing Our Journey… By the time we reached the end of Willapa Hills Trail in Raymond we were ready to rename it the Blackberry Trail. For having a Rail-to-Trail enter their city, Raymond proved to be unwelcoming where bicycle services and tent camping are concerned. All the campgrounds do not allow tent camping as of this writing. Fortunately for us Trail Magic and the Pitchwood Inn & Alehouse owner rescued us. Leaving Raymond we reached Westport with a wonderful ride along Grayland Beach. Deborah tells the story better… June 22, 2021 Six Patches and Trail Magic The day before we had been musing over whether or not to get a…

During the next two days we were about to be all too familiar with blackberry thorns. Prologue… Continuing our travelogue, here are days 5 and 6. We road ride from Castle Rock, reaching Willapa Hills Trail in Adna. In Castle Rock we rode the Riverfront Trail and discovered a wonderful bicycle skills area. In a few days a heatwave would hit the Pacific Northwest and we were riding towards it on hot pavement, road tar melting and popping under our tires. June 20, 2021 Cowlitz River Trail, long hot roads, and ice cream to end the day. To escape the surround sound, cacophony of trains, trucks and automobiles, we hurriedly…

View fullsize Mission Accomplished – but miles still to ride to beat the heat! A Short Introduction After visiting Westport Winery we were impressed with their fruit wines and joined their wine club. This inspired an idea. Instead of having them mail us our wine, we would ride our bikes there to pick it up and test our touring setup at the same time. Not only were we testing gear but also testing our travelogue, video capture, and NAS access while traveling. A route was created that would test most scenarios we would encounter as we live and tour on our bikes. The following daily journals were written by Deborah…

Inside our Tarptent Cloudburst 3 at Lake Crescent November 2019 It was a dark and stormy night… Really, it was. One that would be indelibly tattooed to our memory as one of the top two wettest we have ever experienced. By morning, the confidence of our shelter, a backpack, and a few other items floated downstream with the rain. The shelter we were planning to use has home was a twelve year old GoLite Hex 3 shelter. Being a teepee design, it had a lot of floor space and had proved to be a cozy fortress for us and our two Australian Shepherds. Ironically the Hex 3 chose Edison’s Memorial…

As I begin to write this we have ninety-nine days until launch. The Launch Plan Most of you may know that the past four years we have been watching our 95+ year old parents. There have been a lot of logistics going on for their care as we prepare to travel. There are still a few uncertainties to sift through, especially seeing how Deborah’s parents process the change. Also finding out if family is going to step up and help out. Our plan is to take a month, maybe more, to ride the Oregon Timber Trail. This will keep us in Oregon and close to her parents if anything happens…

View fullsize Mount Rainier From SnowBowl Hut. MTTA SnowBowl Hut: Day One We were invited to go snowshoeing with a very good friend to a snow hut managed by Mount Tahoma Trail Association (MTTA). They have two yurts and two huts – High Hut and SnowBowl Hut. We went to SnowBowl Hut. The plan was to meet Sue at Cottage Bakery in Eatonville, Washington at 9am. Great coffee and pastries if you are ever in town. To avoid a long three hour drive from our cabin we stayed at my mom’s house only 50 minutes away the night before. That was a great decision! Flood warnings and road closures were…

View fullsize On the shores of Lake Crescent – Fairholme Campground. For many, there are areas of great life changing importance. Lake Crescent in Washington’s Olympic Peninsula is such a place for me and Deborah. It has been the location of many firsts during our currently 26 years together. It was the first lake we visited as a couple, the first place we brought both Edison and Jessica. The first place we tried our packrafts. We were even married here. While the list of firsts can go on and on, there are also two significant lasts that haunt us. Lake Crescent was also the last lake Edison and Jessica visited…

View from Obstruction Point Originally published May 28, 2015   The one memory about the drive to Obstruction Point that touched me the most was not the incredible view, nor the alarming lack of snow. It was the fragrance.   This time of year cool mountain breezes carry a distinct aroma through awakening SubAlpine Fir that first begin picking up notes from the soil of recently melted snow and blooming Avalanche Lily’s. It is much more prominent near temporary streams. And is one of a few wilderness experiences that fills me with with the breath of life.   All the windows as well as the sunroof were open in our…